ICRI, the International Concrete Repair Institute, began at the World of Concrete seminar in February 1988. At this seminar, participants expressed their frustration at the lack of standards and specifications for concrete repair. They also voiced their concern over the spread of contractors who had no qualifications in this area. These contractors were not properly trained in concrete repair and were winning contracts without having appropriate expertise in surface preparation, equipment, materials, techniques, etc.

In response to these concerns, the International Association of Concrete Repair Specialists was set up at a formal meeting in Naperville, Illinois, on 21 May 1988. The meeting was attended by 66 specialists in concrete repair. The name was changed in 1993 to the International Concrete Repair Institute.

The founding members agreed that the main objective would be:
To improve the quality of concrete repair, restoration and protection through better training of the organisation’s members and by encouraging communication amongst them.

Each year, ICRI organises a programme to recognise and reward outstanding works in the area of concrete repair. Entries come from all over the world, and winning projects are presented at the annual ICRI awards dinner that takes place at the autumn convention.

This year, Stap entered one of its projects for an award from the International Concrete Repair Institute, ICRI, in the “Longevity” category, to demonstrate the effectiveness and durability of its concrete restoration work. The project in question was the silo for corn and similar products belonging to Sociedade Açoreana de Sabões, SAS, in Lagoa, S. Miguel, Azores. The silo was built in 1980 and is a short distance from the coast. In 1999, it underwent restoration work to stop the deterioration caused by the rapid corrosion of the reinforcements, due to prolonged exposure to the chloride-laden atmosphere. Several studies were carried out before work started in order to characterise the materials involved and the processes causing the deterioration, and the zones exhibiting different degrees of deterioration were surveyed. On the basis of these studies, Stap and SAS jointly examined the possible intervention strategies. It was decided to repair the selected zones with shotcrete, to apply a corrosion inhibitor to the structure as a whole and give it a protective coat of paint.

In collaboration with LNEC, a series of sensors was installed at key points to monitor the progress of the corrosion and the concrete's resistivity, with a view to assessing the construction’s post-intervention performance. Ten years later, the first-rate performance of the silo saw Stap receiving an Award of Excellence, the highest award in the category, in competition with companies from the USA, Canada and other countries.

The awards ceremony will take place in October, in Phoenix, Arizona. ICRI (www.icri.org) is a US-based institution whose membership comprises firms and professionals from the industry. Its purpose is to promote quality in the restoration, repair and protection of concrete through the education of and communication amongst its members and the users of its services.
 

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